TechnipFMC, DOF Subsea Deliver Skandi Búzios

The Skandi Búzios pipelay support vessel, owned by the 50:50 joint venture (JV) formed between TechnipFMC and DOF Subsea, has started its eight-year charter contract with Petrobras, as scheduled on April 13, according to a news release.

Under the JV agreement, TechnipFMC is responsible for the engineering and management of the flexible pipelay, while DOF subsidiary Norskan is responsible for the marine operations.

Skandi Búzios is the sistership of the Skandi Açu, which started its charter contract on Aug. 13.

Solstad Lines Up Work For Two Vessels

Solstad Offshore has signed a four-year frame agreement with Saipem (Portugal) Comercio Maritime (Saipem) for use of construction support vessel (CSV) Normand Cutter, Solstad said in a news release.

Through this agreement, Saipem can use the vessel to support its subsea construction activities worldwide at pre-agreed commercial terms, the company said. As part of the agreement, Saipem said it has declared a utilization of about six months from June for the vessel on a project in West Africa.

In addition, Solstad said it has entered an agreement with Mexico’s Typhoon Offshore, an affiliate of Grupo Salinas. Typhoon will charter the CSV Normand Oceanic for three years starting in May for use in Mexican waters.

Solstad entered the agreement on behalf of Normand Oceanic, a joint venture company owned by Solstad Offshore and Subsea 7.

Wärtsilä Working With Shipyards On IMO Regulations

Wärtsilä is taking a proactive approach to compliance with the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) Convention for Ballast Water Management by signing agreements with several major shipyards, including Keppel Shipyard Ltd. (KSL) of Singapore, to ensure cooperation and communication, the company said.

The limited time frame—the regulations take effect in September—means the retrofitting market will likely be extremely active this year. By conveying critical information to shipowners and operators, Wärtsilä is seeking to ensure that full engineering, procurement, construction capabilities are provided to all customers.

Wärtsilä owns ballast water management system production facilities in the U.K. and China as well as manufacturing agreements with the China-based companies COSCO Weihai and CSSC JiuJiang.

The IMO’s regulations address the issue of ships discharging ballast water carrying invasive aquatic species in the sea where they can harm local species. Wärtsilä’s Aquarius ballast water technology has been type-approved for the IMO regulations.

Edison Chouest, BP Form New Alliance For Services In GoM

Edison Chouest Offshore (Chouest) has formed a 30-month alliance with BP, extending a relationship that involves Chouest affiliates ECO, vessel services; C-Port, multi-service terminal facilities in Louisiana’s Port Fourchon; and C-Logistics, for logistics coordination, expediting and tracking cargo movement, a news release stated.

The agreement includes a three-year extension for utilization of BP’s Gulf of Mexico (GoM) Preservation and Maintenance facility, designed and built by Chouest, in Houma, La.

In addition, the vessel alliance includes a new 95-m (312-ft) new generation, purpose-built platform supply vessel designed for delivery of supplies to BP’s GoM production platforms, ECO said in the release. The vessel is under construction at Chouest’s Houma shipyard, LaShip, and scheduled for delivery within the next several months.

Chouest and BP have had a business alliance for more than eight years.

—Staff Reports